Partisans of Allah

The idea of jihad is central to Islamic faith and ethics, and yet its meanings have been highly contested over time. They have ranged from the philosophical struggle to live an ethical life to the political injunction to wage war against enemies of Islam. Today, more than ever, jihad signifies the political opposition between Islam and the West. Ayesha Jalal seeks to retrieve the ethical meanings of this core Islamic principle in South Asian history. Book jacket.

Ayesha Jalal is Mary Richardson Professor of History, Tufts University.